Spring actuated device



NOV. 22, 1949 R w QQLWELL SPRING ACTUATED DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1947 Nov. 22, 1949 w, CQLWELL 2,488,709

SPRING ACTUATED DEVICE Filed Oct. 23, 1947 2 Sheets-=Sheet 2 I 3nventor= Run/v0 W COLWML.

Patented Nov. 22, 1949 UNITED S TATES PATENT OFFICE smme ACTUATED DEVICE Roland W. Cd'lwell, Los Angeles, Calif. ApplicationaOctobef23, 194-1, :SeriaiNo. 781,518,?

4 Claims. 1

"This invention ;rela;tes to a spring-actuated device.

An objeetofmyinvention is to provide a spring actuated device which is :quick and :easy to assemble and economical to rconstruct.

Another object of my invention is .to prov de a spring actuated device which is ,positive .in operation, and whichi-s easy and .quick to :open and close.

Another object .of my invention is .to provide a spring actuated device, which is provided with means to limit the movement of the .movable member.

My invention has many other objects. advantages, and features, :some of which, Wi h the foregoing, will .be set forth in the iollowing description wherein I shalloutline twoiormsioi my invention, which I have :selected for illustration in-the drawings accompanying andforming a part of the present specification.

In the first orsaid forms, the invention is exemplified in agarment hanger ;Qf the -fornfishown in my Patent .No. 2,&01,413,,=dated ,Junefli, 1946. In the other of said .forms the invention is exemplified. in .a gripping means adapted to secure blankets to acrib.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is ;a front elevation of a garment hanger embodying my invention.

.Fig. .2 isan end elevation of the;garmenthanger shown in Fig. 1 taken in the direction indicated by the arrow ,2.

Fig. .3 is across-section taken on the -line. 3- -.3 of Fig. 1 butshowing the :hanger-in use.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on the line 4-4 "of Fig. With :one of the members shown :in .a moved position. i I

.Fig. 5 is a view taken ,in the same direction as .Fig. 3, showing one member after it is mounted in assembled position and the other member in position to be mounted. i

Fig. 6 is a crosssection :taken on the line 6-6 f Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation showing the method .of mounting the springs. i

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of .a gripping .means .adapted to secure blankets to .a crib embodying .my invention.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation .of .thegripp'ing llleans shown in .Fig. 8.

.Fig. 10 is a plan view of the gripping means shown iniFig, .8, with the .cord removed.

' ,In' the garmentjhangers'hown in Figs. .1 to '7 inclusive, the numeral 1 indicatesarodlwhichihas .a hook 8 for'supporting means, and yokemem- .55

. i2 b-ers 9 provided with shafts 1,0, Mounted on the shafts it are torsion springs Hand spring actuated members l2 and I3.

The shafts I0 may be round, square or of any other :convenient shape, and :may .be slotted at their free \ends, as indicated at 1.4, for the purpose of securing the springs to the shafts. ,l-Iowever, any other means may be used inorder to accomplish this result.

The inside dimension 150i each of the coils of the springs H is such as to permit the spring .to be moved ireelyover the shaft .l.0,.and.the outside dimension .of .the-coilsof the spring issuch as to permit the spring tobe freely .inserted in the bore I] of the movable members 12 and I3. The .free .end of the spring is bent outwardly at right .angles to .the circumference of the coil, as shown at L9. The other end .20 of the spring is bent across the circumference of the spring and extends beyond the outside of the coils as shown .at 2|.

Eachof the spring actuated members I2 and i3 ,is provided with a slot .ZSadJ'acent the bore QI'1, in order to permit the projecting end 2.! of thespring to pass through the movable members in assembling the movable members on the shaft.

'Theinnerend 26 of eachof .the movable members 12 land 13 is provided with a .recess 21. which is adapted to .receive and .rotatably secure the projecting inner end 1,9 .of the spring .II to the movable members. The-outer end 28 of each or the movable ,members 1.2 .and I3 is provided with .an arcuate recess ,29 which is adapted .to receive the projecting outer end .2l of .the spring after .the rotatable member has been mounted on the shaft.

In assembling the unit, the springs ll are .mountedon the shafts ll) with the outerends 20 of the springs inserted in the slots fl 4 of theshafts, after which the ends of the slots [4 are bent to- .gether'in order 'to secureth'e springs to the shafts,

as shown in Fig. 7.

The movable members 1'3 are assembled as ifollowsz. One of the movable members i3 is placed in line with the shaft ill, and withithe projecting .end 2.! of the spring in alignment with the slot 25,750 that said member [3 can be passed over the projecting end 21, that is, with the gripping teeth I3! pointed outward from the hanger frame.

, Said movable member I3 is then moved over the spring until the outer end 28 of said movable member "is beyond the projecting end '2! of the spring, as indicated at 32 in Fig. .4. ,As the movable member I3 is moved over the spring, the pro.- jecting endiil of thespring is positioned in the 3 recess 27. When the outer end 28 of the movable member is moved beyond the projecting end 2| of the spring, as indicated at 32 in Fig. 4, the spring is loaded by rotating the movable member I3 in a spring winding direction, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow 31) in Fig. 5, until the projecting end 2| is opposite the arcuate recess 29. At this point, the movable member I3 is released. As the movable member I3 is released, it is forced outwardly, due to the action of the spring, and the projecting end 2| of the spring becomes positioned in the arcuate recess 29. The other movable member I3 is assembled H in the same manner.

The movable members I2 and I3 are assembled in the same manner, the only difference being that after the movable member I2 is moved over the spring II until its outer end 28 is beyond the projecting end III of the spring, the spring is loaded by rotating the movable member I2 in the reverse direction, that is, in the direction indicated by the arrow 33 in Fig. 5, until the projecting end 2I is opposite the arcuate recess 29.

After the unit is assembled, the ends 34 and 35 of the arcuate recesses 29 serve as stops to limit the working arc of the movable members.

In order to be able to use the members I2 and I3 interchangeably, the recess 21 is preferably made exactly the same shape as the arcuate recess 29.

In using the garment hanger shown in Figs. 1 to 7, the trousers are inserted upwardly into the yoke members 9, at each end of the cuff. The trouser legs are positioned together, holding them with both hands between the thumb and fingers of each hand, placing them beneath the hanger and with the two index fingers applied to the rod I of the hanger, inserting the trouser legs into the yoke members 9. As the cuffs 36 contact the gripping surface 3I, the movable members I2 and I3 are automatically forced to rotate oppositely against the action of the springs as shown in Fig. 3, thus providing a space for the trousers. The trousers, when released, are firmly held in the garment hanger due to both the action of the springs II and the pull of gravity or force exerted which tends to draw the trousers away from the rod "I, actuating the movable members I2 and I3 and causing them to grip in proportion to the stress exerted.

In removing the trousers or the garment from the hanger, the garment is gripped below the hanger, and one or both of the movable members I2 and I3 at each end of the hanger is rotated in the directions indicated by the arrows 31 and 3B in Fig. 3, thereby releasing the trousers.

The movable members I2 and I3 may be easily and quickly removed from the shaft, if such action is desired. In order to remove the movable members I3 from the shaft ID, the assembly operation is reversed. That is, the movable member I3, Fig. 2, is forced rearwardly until the front end 28 of the movable member I3 is beyond the outer end 2| of the spring, as shown at 32 in Fig. 4, after which the movable member I3 is rotated until the projecting end 2I of the spring is in alignment with the slot 25, preferably by rotating the member I3 in a direction indicated by the arrow 39, after which the movable member I3 may be moved over the spring II and disengaged from the shaft Ill. The movable members I2 may be removed in a similar manner.

In Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive, the invention is em- 4 bodied in a gripping means adapted to secure blankets and the like to a crib or bed by means of a cord 40. The frame 4| is formed as shown in said figures to provide shafts 42 and 43 which extend from opposite ends of the frame 4|. A blanket may be gripped and released by the movable members I2 and I3 in the same manner as the trousers are gripped and released in the garment hanger as hereinabove described. From the foregoing description in connection with Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the construction and operation of this gripping means will be apparent and will therefore not be described herein.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the

uses, advantages and operation of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. While I have described two embodiments of my invention, I desire to have it understood that the forms shown are merely illustrative and that the invention is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the appended claims.

I claim is my invention:

1. A spring'actuated device comprising a shaft, a coil spring surrounding said shaft, one end of said spring being secured to said shaft and projecting beyond the periphery of the coils of the spring, the opposite end of said spring being free from said shaft and projecting beyond the periphery of the coils of the spring, a movable member having a bore through which said shaft and spring extend, a slot in said bore adapted to receive one of the projecting ends of said spring during insertion of said spring in said bore, the projecting portion of the secured end of said spring engaging an end of said movable member to limit movement of said movable member axially of said shaft, and means securing the projecting portion of the free end of said spring against rotation relative to said movable member.

2. A spring actuated device comprising a shaft, a coil spring surrounding said shaft, one end of said spring being secured to said shaft and projecting beyond the periphery of the coils of the spring, the opposite end of said spring bein free from said shaft, a movable member having a bore through which said shaft and spring extend, a slot in the wall of said bore and extending the full length of said bore adapted to receive the projecting end of said spring during insertion of said spring in said bore, a recess at one end of said bore having positioned therein the projecting portion of the secured end of said spring to secure said movable member against longitudinal movement along said shaft, and means at the opposite end of said movable member securing the free end of said spring against rotation relative to said movable member.

3. A spring actuated device comprising a shaft, a coil spring surrounding said shaft, one end of said spring being secured to said shaft and projecting beyond the periphery of the coils of the spring, the opposite end of said spring being free from said shaft, a movable member having a bore through which said shaft and spring extend, the projecting portion of the secured end of said spring engaging an end of said movable member to limit movement of said movable member axially of said shaft, and means at the opposite end of said movable member securing the free end of said spring against rotation relative to said movable member.

4. A spring actuated device comprising a pair of shafts in fixed parallel relationship, a movable member eccentrically mounted on each shaft for oscillating movement thereon, each of said movable members having a bore therein through which its respective shaft extends, a coil spring within said bore and surrounding the shaft, said coil spring having one of its ends fixed to the shaft and projecting beyond the periphery of the coils of said spring into engagement with one end of said movable member to limit longitudinal movement of said movable member along said shaft, the opposite end of said spring being free from said shaft, and means for securing the free end of said spring against rotation relative to said movable member, said springs being operative to urge said eccentrically mounted movable members toward each other.

ROLAND W. COLWELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

